By Henry Jami Mang’eni
Wild tomatoes’ ability to grow pest-free has seen the forgotten vegetable return to the plates of many Kenyans.
In towns such as Ganze along the Kenyan Coast, demand for wild tomatoes has seen traders, especially women, collect the surplus bitter tomatoes and take them to the market where they sell two handfuls for Sh10 or a a minimum of Sh100 a kilo.
The tomatoes are loved by rural Giriamas who have used them in their meals for many years. The tomatoes which became unpopular with the wider Kenyan public because of modernisation, have in recent years gained wider appeal for being organically farmed. Unlike regular tomatoes, they fight off pests and diseases by themselves making it possible to grow them without agrochemicals.
“I like these tiny tomatoes which Giriamas refer to as tindi thithe, or tiny tomatoes or tindi tsatsu referring to the bitter-sweet taste they add to what I cook,” said mama Joyce Furaha, a farmer in Dida location of Sokoke location Ganze, Kilifi County.
Wild tomatoes are tiny and round possessing hairy features. They come in different colors ranging from green, yellow, orange, and red and are loved by cooks for their characteristic bitter taste.
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They thrive in warm areas with 200 to 300°C and loamy soils rich in organic matter. They are common at the Coast, Western, Rift Valley, and parts of Central Kenya.
Grows to a height of two meters and the stems are thin making it necessary to support them however some farmers leave them to grow on the ground depending on the farm management practice.
When the plants are supported production tends to increase and the fruits remain untouched with anything that can injure them when they lie on the ground.
Wild tomatoes resist pests and diseases like blights, Powdery mildew, and blossom end rot which affects the common standard tomatoes. According to the farmers who grow it, pests and diseases may occur when the situation is tough but they are able to grow through the challenge compared to the standard ones. Wild tomatoes branch highly and their stems need support which also reduces pests and disease incidents.
Expect the first harvest 90 days after transplanting and the harvesting period extending to six months influenced with availability of moisture. Each plant can produce four kilograms over a harvesting period of six to eight months.
Wild tomato fruit production continues throughout the season and they do even better when they have moisture.
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“I prefer this type of tomatoes mainly because they are easy to grow compared to the improved big ones, they can tolerate dry conditions and are not easily prone to diseases and pests. In my garden, you will find them sprouting by themselves as a result of fruits from the previous season which rot and fall on the ground,” informed Charo Mwinde who has a few plants of wild tomatoes.
Charo added that the tomatoes are available at the market from those who can get or grow a lot of them. They are however considered wild and are not as readily available compared to the bigger tomatoes.
Wild tomatoes are the mother of all tomatoes and the scientists have used their strong characteristics to continue developing new tomato varieties. The propagation for wild tomatoes is not so much different from modern ones.
”There is a challenge of getting seeds for these tomatoes, so I make my own seed,” Charo said.
He does this by picking the ripe fruits and pressing them. Once the seed spills in a dish, he washes the seeds in water then sieves and dries them in the sun. Once they are dry he uses the seed to make a nursery and after a month they are ready for transplanting.
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He adds cherry tomatoes are the most similar to wild tomatoes that can be found in agro outlets. However, the only way to grow new wild tomatoes is to make your own seed.
The majority of farmers don’t grow wild tomatoes commercially but as a food so the plant population is very low per farmer because they do it as kitchen gardens. Those that have increased their plot size deliver it at the local market to sell to those who require it on demand.
Saving the seed is a common practice for wild plant propagators, so part of the harvest is prepared for making seeds for the next planting.
Photo Courtesy: pixabay.com